^%. 


^, 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


W 


^ 


// 


o 


A 


,V4 


1.0 


I.I 


IA^|2B     |2.5 

lU  1^    12.2 


-  i 


2.0 


1.8 


11.25  11.4   mil  1.6 


Va 


^ 


% 


/A 


%J^ 


7 


/^ 


>yV^ 


7 


Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


73  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


iV 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibiiographiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


0 


n 


D 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


I      I   Covers  damaged/ 


Couverture  endommag6e 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurAe  et/ou  pellicula 

Cover  title  missing/ 

Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

Coloured  maps/ 

Cartes  gAographiques  en  couleur 

Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blre  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.a.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 


I      I   Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 


D 


Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
ReliA  avec  d'autres  documents 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  reliure  serrde  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  int^rieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajouties 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mals,  lorsque  cela  6tait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  At6  fiimies. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  supplAmentaires; 


L'Institut  a  microfilm*  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  4tA  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-Atre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuven^  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exigcr  une 
modification  dans  la  mAthode  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiqu6s  ci-dessous. 


[~~1    Coloured  pages/ 


Pages  de  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagAes 

Pages  restored  and/oi 

Pages  restaurAes  et/ou  pelilculAes 

Pages  discoloured;  stained  or  foxei 
Pages  dicoiories,  tacheties  ou  piqu^es 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  d6tach6as 

Showthrough/ 
Transparence 

Quality  of  prir 

Qualiti  in^gaie  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplementary  materii 
Comprend  du  materiel  suppldmentaire 


I  I  Pages  damaged/ 

I  I  Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 

j  I  Pages  discoloured;  stained  or  foxed/ 

I  I  Pages  detached/ 

I  I  Showthrough/ 

I  I  Quality  of  print  varies/ 

I  I  Includes  supplementary  material/ 


Tl 
to 


Tl 

P< 
of 
fil 


Oi 
b« 
th 
8i« 
ot 
fir 
8i« 
or 


Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 

Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscurod  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  hava  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'rrrata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  6x6  fiimAes  it  nouveau  de  fa^on  A 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


Th 
sh 
Til 

wl 

Ml 
dif 
en 
bfl 
ris 
rei 
mi 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  film*  au  taux  de  riductir-  indiquA  ci-dessous. 

10X  14X  18K  22X 


2cX 


30X 


y 

12X 


16X 


20X 


24X 


28X 


32X 


Ills 

du 

difier 

line 

lags 


Th«  copy  filmad  her*  ha*  been  reproduced  thanks 
to  the  generosity  of: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 

The  imeges  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  end  legibility 
of  the  originel  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


L'exemplaire  film*  fut  reproduit  grAce  A  la 
gAnArositA  de: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 

Les  imeges  suivantes  ont  AtA  reproduites  evec  le 
plus  grand  soin.  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  at 
de  la  nettetA  de  Texempleire  filmA.  et  en 
conformitA  avec  les  conditions  du  contret  de 
filmage. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustreted  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  eppropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  pege  with  a  printed  or  illustreted  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprimAe  sont  filmAs  en  commengant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
derniAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustratioiv  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  selon  !a  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  filmAs  en  commandant  par  la 
premiAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  derniAre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shell  contain  the  symbol  — ^  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED "I,  or  the  symbol  V  (meaning   "END  "I, 
whichever  applies. 


Un  das  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
derniAre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  —^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  Atre 
filmAs  A  des  taux  de  rAduction  diffArents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichA,  il  est  filmA  A  partir 
de  I'angle  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  nAcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mAthode. 


rrata 
o 


lelure, 
1  A 


□ 


32X 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

^^i)4l^  Jil<^s^^  IT)— 


issi0r)s 


m^ 


«,   «CC«UT)f  -f  ti5«jJ««%   .f  ti,,  l«ft; 


;L^  '• 


'^r 


M  R€».  GHarlcs  J.  gcgh 


era. 


%-l. 


•ly.pj3i«^p  ef  i?«,^„^,  Isl«i)ip.  e. 


« 


SKETCH  OF  THE  ALASKA  MISSION. 


Wiirn-KN   AiiifST,    1887. 


Archbishop  Seghers  liad  asked  several  times  Missionaries  for  Alask?. 
from  various  religious  Orders,  but  could  not  obtain  any.  Finally  the 
Jteverend  Father  Superior  of  the  Kocky  Mountain  Mission,  S.  J., 
having  received  some  young  religious  ot  his  Order  from  Europe,  an- 
swered the  Archbishop's  earnest  and  repeated  request,  by  sending 
him  two  Fathers  of  the  said  Society,  who  should  go  with  him  to  ex- 

I)lore  that  country  before  opening  there  a  JSLission.  These  were 
^'athers  Tosi  and  Kobaut,  to  whom  were  given,  as  companion,  a  cer- 
tain Mr.  Fuller,  who  had  offered  himself  for  this  purpose.  This 
Fuller  had  been  known  to  the  Fathers  for  several  years,  liaving  for 
some  time  acted  as  helper  at  Industrial  Schools,  but  he  was  neither  a 
Brother  nor  a  postulant  to  become  sucii. 

The  place  where  the  first  Mission  was  to  have  been  founded  was  in 
that  part  of  Alaska  where  the  Stuart  river  flows  into  the  Yucon, 
about  250  miles  from  its  source,  in  the  eastern  part  of  Alaska,  and 
about  2,500  miles  from  its  month  in  the  west.  The  Yucon  river  has 
a  length  of  2,800  miles,  and  seems  to  be  larger  and  deeper  than  the 
Columbia;  it  flows  through  the  heart  of  Alaska,  and  is  the  largest 
river  as  yet  known  of  that  country,  many  tributaries  emptying  into 
it.  In  winter  there  is  no  other  way  of  exploring  that  country  than 
by  traveling  over  the  fro7.en  surface  of  rivers  and  lakes.  In  summer 
tiie  Yucon  is  navigable,  and  people  travel  up  and  down  it  in  boats  or 
on  rafts.  The  Indians  are  mostly  found  on  the  banks  of  the  rivers 
or  on  th    sea  coast. 

Tlie  Archbishop  first  iti tended  to  leave  San  Francisco  in  the  spring 
of  1886,  by  one  of  the  steamers  that  go  to  the  western  part  of  Alaska; 
these  steamers  enter  the  Yucon  and  pursue  their  course  east- 
ward, very  far  into  the  interior.  According  to  this  })lan  the  Mis- 
sionaries would  have  reached  the  place  >f  their  intended  explorations 
without  any  trouble  or  ditHcuiiy.  I>ut  something  happened  that 
obliged  them  to  change  their  plans.  The  Archbishop  had  to  wait 
till  he  should  receive  the  Pallium  from  the  Arch])ishop  of  Oregon, 
and  it  was  not  till  summer  that  this  solenniity  could  take  place.  It 
being  too  late  then  to  take  one  of  the  steamers  tiiat  go  up  the  Yucon, 


183iJ6 


A rcli bishop  Sen^hers 


and  his  coini 


had  eitlier  to  wait  till    th 


painoim  iiaci  eitner  to  wait  tm  tiie 
following  spring,  or  to  change  their  plans,  that  is,  to  travel  from  east 
to  west  instead  of  traveling  i'roin  west  to  east,  as  was  at  tint  intended; 
and  after  reacliing  the  headwaters  of  the  Yncon  follow  the  river  to 
the  intended  place.  This  plan  they  finally  adopted.  This  road  did 
not  present  any  extraordinary  difRculties  till  they  reached  a  spot 
about  35  miles  from  the  Yucon,  where  swamps  and  lakes  abound. 
As  soon  as  they  reached  this  part  of  the  country  they  were  obliged 
to  travel  on  foot  across  streams,  rocks  and  glaciers.  For  help  they 
had  Indians,  who  carried  the  baggage  on  their  backs.  With  these 
Indians  one  must  have  great  patience  and  pay  them  well  for  their 
services.  Thc^  are  experienced  packers  and  good  guides,  knowing 
the  country  well,  as  they  are  employed  for  that  by  the  miiiers  that  go 
to  that  country.  Having  reached  the  headwaters  of  the  Yucon  the 
Indians  left  the  Missionaries  and  returned  to  their  homes.  There  our 
travelers  put  themselves  to  the  building  of  a  very  solid  raft,  because 
when  any  party  comes  to  this  spot  and  are  unable  to  secure  a  raft 
from  others  returning  they  are  obliged  to  build  their  own,  if  tliev 
want  to  continue  their  jouri  ^y.  On  such  rafts  explorers  row  over 
lakes,  shallow  places  and  rapids,  till  they  reach,  on  the  Yucon,  the 
terminus  of  their  journey.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  such  a  way  of 
traveling  is  full  of  Imrdships,  fatigues,  want  and  unforeseen  accidents; 
yet  there  is  no  danger  for  the  lives  of  the  travelers,  otherwise  the 
Archbishop  would  not  have  risked  those  of  his  companions.  The 
greatest  difficulty,  says  F.  Tosi,  is  to  make  a  good  raft  to  go  down  the 
river.  In  this  way,  on  a  raft,  the  Archbisliop  and  his  companions 
penetrated  into  the  interior  of  Alaska,  and  reached  the  mouth  of  the 
Stuart  river  after  many  accidents,  which  are  described  in  two  letters, 
one  written  by  the  Archbishop,  and  the  other  by  F.  Robaut.  When 
the  Missionaries  had  reached  the  junction  of  the  Stuart  river  it 
would  seem  that  they  had  come  to  the  end  of  their  journey  for  that 
year,  and  that  they  should  make  there  their  winter  quarters,  as  there 
is  no  communication  in  winter,  except  between  places  that  are  very 
near  to  one  another.  But  the  zeal  of  the  Archbishop  was  pushing 
him  on  further,  lie  thought  that  three  Missionaries  in  one  and  the 
same  place  were  too  many,  seeing  the  want  of  the  whole  country; 
besides,  he  feared  that  the  numerous  bands  of  Indians  near  the  banks 
of  the  Yucon  would  be  lost  to  the  Churcli  by  any  delay.  For  these 
reasons  the  Archbishop  resolved  to  leave  the  two  Fathers  and  travel 
900  miles  further  <lown,  notwithstanding  the  earnest  entreaties  of  F. 
Tosi  to  the  contrary.  Thus  the  Archbishop  left  on  the  8th  day  of 
September,  188G,  with  Mr.  Fuller  as  comj)anion.  F.  Robaut  says  in 
his  letter:  "  This  separation  was  very  hard  for  him  and  for  us,  but 
it  was  necessary,  he  said,  and  so,  after  a  tender  and  repeated  good  bye, 


ii 


3 

lie  departed  from  lu."  WlitMi  the  Arclihishop  was  about  l(!iiviii<; 
they  all  agieed  that  the  two  Fathers  would  jru  down  the  river  as  soon 
as  it  wonhl  \)v.  open  tor  travel,  and  meet  him  at  hin  new  station, 
which  woidd  prohahly  tul<e  place  towards  the  end  of  May  oi  the 
heginidng  of  June.  Ihen  they  would  consult  together  what  was  to 
he  done,  and  one  of  the  Fathers  woidd  remain  in  Alaska,  and  the 
other  wt>uld  return  with  the  Archhishop  to  San  Francisco;  the  Su- 
perior of  the  Mission,  on  l)eing  informed  as  to  what  C(tuld  he  done 
there  would  then  refer  nnitters  to  the  Very  Keverened  Father  General 
of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  for  the  estahlishment  of  the  Alaska  Mission. 
In  accordance  with  this  agreement  the  Fathers  went  down  the  river 
some  tiine  in  May,  in  the  expectation  of  meeting  the  ArchI)ishop  full 
of  life  and  crowned  with  success.  It  is  difHcult  to  imagine  what  was 
their  disa])jK)intment,  sorrow  and  consternation  at  the  news  ot  tlie 
awful  trigedy  of  the  Archhishop's  death.  At  first  they  could  not 
believe  the  terrible  news,  hut  they  had  to  submit  themselves  to  the 
disposition  of  Divine  Providence,  when  they  came  to  the  evidence  of 
the  hicts.  They  were  told  that  the  Archbishop  had  been  shot  dead 
by  Fidler,  and  that  his  body  was  at  St.  Michael's  in  a  Russian  Church. 

rilK    DKTAILS    OF    TUK    MUKDEK 

And  of  the  murder's  mind  are  as  follows:  During  the  voyage  from 
Portland  to  the  southwestern  coast  of  Alaska,  Fuller's  conduct  was 
often  so  extravagant  that  F.  Tosi  twice  counseled  the  Archbishop  to 
send  him  (Fuller')  l)ack  with  the  same  steamer,  which  would  return 
from  Alaska  to  Portland,  tor  it  seemed  dangerous  to  F.  Tosi  to  con- 
tinue traveling  such  a  long  distance  with  a  man  of  this  kind.  Hut 
the  Archbishop,  jt'dging  his  services  necessary,  both  during  the  voy- 
age and  during  the  winter  in  that  most  difficult  country,  took  him 
along,  in  hopes  that  the  extravagances  of  Fuller,  which  arose  from  a 
fear  that  the  whites  wanted  to  take  his  life;,  would  subside  as  soon  as 
he  would  l)e  far  away  froju  them,  and  though  Fuller's  extravagances 
continued,  yet  the  Archbishop,  in  his  zeal,  separated  himself  from 
the  Fathers,  and  traveled  down  the  liver  alone  in  company  with  Fid- 
ler. F.  F.  Tosi  and  Uobaut,  when  near  St.  Michael's  learned  the 
following  factvs:  "Nearly  f*.  month  had  passed  since  the  Archbishop 
had  reached  the  end  of  his  trip  of  900  miles,  when  he  took  the  reso- 
I'ltion  to  make  a  third  and  shorter  journey  to  visit  some  other  tribe 
of  Indians.  He  took  with  him  Fidler  and  two  Indians  as  companions. 
The  Archbislutp  traveled  with  them  for  seveml  days  until  he  reached  a 
place  about  one  day's  distance  from  a  camp  of  the  Indians  he  intended 
to  visit.  It  being  late  in  the  afternoon  iind  Fuller  tired,  he  proposed 
to  the  Archbishop  to  camp  there  for  the  night  and  not  to  go  any 
further   that  day.     The  Archbishop  having  asked  the  advice  of  the 


Indians  thought  better  to  go  on,  which  they  did,  and  reached  an 
empty  Indian  house  in  tlie  evening.  According  to  the  Indians  who 
accompanied  the  Archhi«lK)|),  Fuller  was  very  mucii  displeased  that 
his  advice  liad  not  heen  followed,  and  he  comjmiined  bitterly,  because, 
lie  said,  the  advice  of  Indians  had  been  preferred  to  that  of  a  white 
man.  They  say,  also,  tliat  Fuller  was  very  niucli  excited  (Inriniij  the 
night,  and  seemed  not  to  have  slept.  At  daybreak  they  saw  liim  get 
nj)  and  go  about  as  if  he  would  start  the  fire,  but  did  not  (h)  it.  AH 
at  once  he  called  the  Archbishop,  telling  I'.im  to  get  up.  The  Arch- 
bishop arose  to  a  sitting  posture,  and  on  seeing  Fuller  with  liis  gun 
levelled,  folded  liis  arms  on  liis  breast  and  inclined  his  hea»l,  when  the 
man  shot  him.  The  bullet  passed  tiirough  his  forehead  near  his  left 
eye  and  came  out  from  the  upper  ])arr  of  the  neck.  The  Ai^chbishop 
died  instantly.  Tlie  Indians  witnessintj;  the  tragedy  got  frightened, 
and  fearing  that  Fuller  would  kill  thenj  also,  disarmed  him,  but  Ful- 
ler assured  thein,  saying  coolly  and  calmly  that  he  had  made  up  his 
mind  to  kill  only  the  Archbishop.  Then  he  and  the  Indians  arranged 
the  body  of  the  dead  Prelate,  taking  away  only  the  ])astoral  cross  and 
ring,  which  objects,  he  said,  he  wou'd  give  to  the  ecclesiastical 
authorities  in  Victoria,  B.  C.  From  this  it  would  seem  that  we  can 
saftiy  conclude  that  Fuller's  mental  faculties  had  been  upset,  partly 
in  consequence  of  a  previous  disposition  for  monomania  and  partly, 
also,  in  consequence  of  the  sufferings  he  had  undergone  during  the 
voyage;  further,  we  may  sup[)ose  that  he  killed  the  Archbishop  in  a 
lit  of  madness.  This  conclusion  is  corroborated  by  the  following  fact: 
He  is  reported  to  have  said  that  when  they  will  hang  him  he  wants 
the  consolation  of  confessing  to  a  Catholic  Wiest — not  to  accuse  him- 
self of  the  murder  of  the  Archbishop,  for  which  he  feels  no  remorse — 
but  of  his  past  sins.  The  only  consolation  left  to  us  who  have  known 
this  beloved  Archbishop  is  the  thought  that  Almighty  God,  who,  in 
his  inscrutable  wisdom  and  providence  over  his  creatures,  governs 
and  directs  all  to  his  greater  glory,  will  know  how  to  use  the  tragic 
death  of  this  holy  Prelate  as  an  efficacious  means  of  propagating  the 
saving  light  of  the  Gospel,  We  are  aware  that  the  crown  of  sacri- 
fices which  the  Divine  Goodness  imjiosed  on  the  holy  man  for  the 
salvation  of  l^ie  Indians  in  asking  from  him  the  renunciation  of  the 
Archbishopric  of  Oregon,  in  order  to  undertake  such  an  arduous  mis- 
sion, full  of  hardships,  receiver^,  its  most  brilliant  gem  in  the  bloody 
sacrifice  of  his  precious  life.  We  cannot  suppose  that  God,  on  be- 
holding a  sacrifice  so  precious,  will  not  be  nwved  to  grant  in  some 
future  time,  perha])S  not  far  distant,  the  conversion  of  the  poor  crea- 
tures, for  whose  salvation  the  sacrifice  was  made. 

Neither  F.  Tosi  nor  F.  Robaut  knew  anything  about  this  sad  event 
until  last  June,  when  they  went  down  the  Yucon  to  meet  the  Arch- 


bishop,  F.  Tosi  left  the  body  of  the  Archbishup  as  it  w.is,  in  a  /,iiic 
casket  RiirroiiiKJed  with  ice  to  preserve  it.  It  is  in  the  Ilussian 
Chajjcl  at  St.  Michael's  which  is  situated  about  500  miles  from  the 
mouth  of  the  Yucon,  and  when  jjossible  it  will  \>v  taken  by  steamer 
to  Victoria,  IJ.  C.  Father  Robaut  went  then  to  the  Indians  in  whoso 
Territory  the  Arciibishop  was  killed,  and  Father  Tosi  left  on  the 
steamer  bound  for  San  Francisco,  to  acijuaint  Superiors  of  all  tliat 
liad  happened.  In  this  last  trip  he  had  go(»d  opportunity  t(»  visit  the 
western  eea  coast  of  Alaska,  both  above  and  below  the  nu)Uth  of  the 
Yucon.  lie  arrived  from  San  Francisco  to  Po'-tland  on  the  23(1  of 
July,  and  gave  us  all  the  details  of  the  facts  just  related,  besides 
much  important  information  about  the  country  and  its  iidiabitants, 
which  we  shall  now  relate. 

The  clinuvte  of  Alaska  is  not  very  changeable,  it  being  very  cold  in 
winter,  and  but  moderately  warm  in  summer,  and  this  uniformity  of 
clinuvte  nuikes  it  very  healthy.  F.  Tt»si,  whose  chest  was  always 
more  or  less  weak,  and  who  suffered  from  rheumatism,  like  most  of 
our  Missionaries  in  the  mountains,  says  that  his  health  has  very  much 
imjjroved  during  his  stay  in  Alaska,  and  the  writer,  who  saw  him 
after  his  return  from  there  can  testify  to  the  fact  that  he  ap[)eared  to 
be  much  stronger.  It  seems  that  along  the  Yucon  I'iver  the  .snow  is 
not  very  deep,  last  winter  it  was  not  deeper  than  two  feet,  whilst  in 
the  Rocky  Mountains  it  was  very  deep.  In  summer  it  rains  but 
seldom,  hence  on  the  Alaska  mountains  there  must  be  a  great  deal  of 
snow,  to  feed,  when  melting,  a  river  like  the  Yucon,  one  of  the  largest 
rivers  in  the  world.  During  the  winter  the  thermometer  marked  on 
an  average  15  deg.  below  zero  (F),  though  sometimes  it  went  down 
to  GO  deg.,  and  even  70  deg.  below  zero  (F.).  During  extreme  cold 
a  wonderful  phenomenon  takes  place — the  respiration  is  .iccompanied 
by  a  perceptible  voice  that  can  be  heard  at  some  distance.  This 
strange  phenomenon  must  be  .ascribed,  it  would  seem,  to  the  conden- 
sation of  the  volume  of  warm  air,  which  on  leaving  the  mouth  is 
instantly  condensed  by  the  very  cold  air  without.  The  dwellings  of 
the  natives  are  built  partly  under  and  partly  above  ground,  and  cov- 
ered with  a  thick  layer  of  clay  as  a  protection  against  the  severe 
cold.  Dense  forests  of  different  kinds  of  wood  can  furnish  fuel 
necessary  for  any  purpose.  A  great  quantity  of  wood  being  neces- 
sary it  is  evident  that  to  procure  and  transport  it  is  accompanied  with 
many  and  great  difficulties;  but  should  the  winter  supply  of  wood 
give  out  it  is  possible  to  get  more,  even  in  winter,  only  a  person  has 
to  take  the  precaution  of  clothing  warmly  and  lighting  a  large  fire 
on  the  spot  where  he  cuts  his  wood.  To  form  an  idea  of  the  intensity 
of  the  cold  in  those  regions  it  is  sufficient  to  mention  that  to  procure 
the  necessary  water,  they  have  to  go  to  the  middle  of  the  river  with 


6 


a  pick-axe  and  make  n  hole  in  the  ice,  which  is  about  six  feet  thick, 
and  that  they  have  to  cover  it  with  hranche*  l*efore  leaving,  if  they 
don't  want  to  have  to  g(>  through  the  same  procese  again  next  day. 
To  get  water  near  the  shove  is  iinpoeHible,  or  at  least  very  ditticult, 
because  there  the  water  citlier  freezes  from  the  surface  to  the  bottom, 
or  the  ice  is  much  thicker  there  than  in  the  middle  of  the  river, 
where  the  current  is  swifter.  In  summer  <m3  can  travel  in  a  boat 
down  without  any  ditHculty,  and  even  up  the  river,  l»ut  not  without 
some  exertion.  In  winter  then;  is  no  country  iu  the  world  that  has 
roads  more  level  than  Alaska,  that  is  to  say,  the  frozen  surfaces  of  its 
rivers,  lakes  and  swamps.  The  ice  is  so  tiiick  that  there  is  no  danger 
of  breaking  through,  h  nv  heavy  soever  the  load  may  l>e.  The  only 
vehicle  in  use  in  winter  h  a  sled  drawn  by  dogs;  the-e  animals  are 
very  large  and  tame,  and  accustomed  to  hani  work.  They  are  placed 
before  the  sled  in  iiles  of  two  or  three  and  are  driven  without  the  aid 
of  a  bridle,  sometimes,  however,  one  of  the  party  on  snowshoes  pre- 
cedes the  dogs,  making  the  road  and  leading  the  way.  The  dogs 
carry  in  this  manner  considerable  weishts.  and  sometimes  even  the 
driver,  who  jumps  on  the  sled  from  behind  while  it  is  moving.  It 
happens  not  seldom  that  the  sled  is  upset  in  g<)ing  over  a  heap  of 
drifted  snow  or  some  other  obstacle,  and  if  the  driver  is  not  verv 
quick  in  jumping  off  he  is  thrown  into  the  snow,  because  the  dogs 
cannot  be  stopped  all  at  once,  on  account  of  their  having  no  bridle. 
A  person  ouglit  not  to  loose  courage  it  the  dogs,  from  time  to  time, 
are  difKcuIt  to  manage,  since  much  patience  is  needed  in  traveling 
with  dog-sleds  in  Alaska.  There  are  no  horses  in  the  country,  but  F. 
Tosi  thiidvs  tlmt  it  would  not  be  ver^'  diliiieult  to  keep  them,  even 
in  winter,  if  only  warm  stables  were  buih  that  would  protect  them 
from  the  cold.  Hay  grows  in  all  the  swamps,  which  might  be  mowed 
in  summer  and  stored  away  for  winter.  Still  with  all  this  it  is  to  be 
doubted  if  horses  would  be  of  any  utility  in  Alaska,  otherwise  they 
would  have  been  imported  long  aero.  One  ot  the  difficulties,  and  by 
no  means  the  least,  would  be  the  impog.-ibiIity  to  carry  along  on  a 
liorse  the  amount  of  hay  required  for  a  trip  of  any  extent.  The 
same  difficulty  does  not  encumber  one  who  travels  with  dogs, 
because  these,  besides  being  able  to  endure  hunger  for  a  longer 
time,  may  be  fed  with  dry  fish  of  which  a  sufficient  quantity 
can  be  taken  along  on  the  sled,  and  which  can  be  procured,  if 
needed,  wherever  the  Indians  live.  Although  there  can  be  found 
in  Alaska  large  tracts  of  good  land,  still  on  account  of  the 
severe  and  protracted  cold  it  would  not  do  to  cultivate  them,  and 
therefore  they  will  always  lie  waste.  Nevertheless  F.  Tosi  thinks 
that,  during  the  short  period  of  summer  one  could  raise  without  much 
difficulty  such  vegetables  as  need  only  a  short  time  to  come  to  ma- 


I 


i 


turity,  ns  potatoes,  cnhlmgeH,  etc.,  for  the  sun  reintiiiiing  on  the  horizon 
for  neurly  four  months  (May,  June,  July  and  Aiii^iiHt),  its  lieat  must 
produce  a  good  efT(  -t  on  vegetation.  Tliis  heing  as  yet  ojily  an 
opinion,  experience  must  show  whether  it  be  riglit  or  wrong.  Hut 
as  in  otlier  countries,  ho  in  Ahiska — a  person  who  has  moiu-y  can 
procure  from  San  Krancisco  dried  ])ear,  hean  ,  tc.,  etc.,  also  fresh 
vegetables  of  every  description  preserved  in  air  tigln  tin  cans.  There 
are  three  steamers  tiiat  run  between  San  Francis  ;o  and  the  interior  of 
Ahiska,  going  uj)  the  Yucon  river.  One  (>f  hem  leaves  S;in  Fiji'i- 
cisco  about  the  jiiichlle  of  March,  another  in  the  b»giii:iing  of  April 
and  tl  ■  1  ird  at  the  end  of  May.  Thepo  three  steamers  having  com- 
pleted their  voyage  up  and  (K)wn  the  Yr.con  and  along  the  coast  of 
Alaska,  return  to  San  Francisco,  and  if  we  minlake  not  tlie  first  of 
these  steamers  returns  before  the  third  leaves.  Tiie  com])any  that 
owns  these  vessels  has  been  very  kind  to  the  Missionaries.  For  F. 
Tosi's  last  trip  from  Alaska  to  Sati  Francisco  the  company  refused  to 
take  any  money.  The  charges  for  freight  are  very  moderate.  By 
these  steamers  the  Fathers  of  Alaska  would  iuivc  a  means  of  direct 
communication  with  San  Francisco,  where  there  is  a  college  of  the 
Societv  of  Jesus.  One  of  the  Fathers  residint;  in  California  mijrht 
miglit,  act  as  Procurator,  supplying  all  the  things  necessary  for  the 
Missions  in  Alaska.  Hy  this  communication  with  San  Francisco 
the  Alaska  Missions  are  in  a  much  better  condition  than  the  liocky 
Mountain  Missions  were  in  years  past.  The  Missionaries  were  then 
entirely  separated  from  all  civilization,  and  were  obliged  to  provide 
themselves  with  the  necessaries  of  life  by  undertaking  long  journeys 
of  several  hundred  miles  over  rough  and  ditRcult  roads,  transporting 
everytlii!ig  by  means  of  pack-horses.  Missionaries  of  Alaska,  by 
simply  writing  a  letter  to  their  Procurator  in  San  Francisco,  may  ob- 
tain every  year  a  full  supply  of  everything  they  need  for  the  ne.\t 
year,  and  keep  up  a  comparatively  easy  correspondence  with  their 
superiors. 

The  country  turnishes  abundance  of  food,  as  fish  and  game  of  dif- 
ferent kinds.  Thousands  and  thousands  of  Indians  with  their  dogs 
live  almost  exclusively  on  lisli.  Every  strenn?  and  river  abounds  with 
them.  There  being  no  falls  of  any  height  that  might  prevent  the 
fish  from  going  up  the  Yucon,  those  from  the  sea  find  no  difficulty  In 
ascending  the  river,  and  therefore  it  is  full  of  them.  There  is  a  cer- 
tain kind  of  white  fish  there,  about  a  foot  and  a  half  long,  which  is 
of  exquioite  taste.  The  Indians  fish  with  strong  nets,  very  ingeniously 
made  of  sinews.  In  winter  time  they  make  first  a  hole  in  the  ice,  and 
then  throw  in  their  nets,  so  in  Alaska  one  may  secure  at  any  time  a 
quantity  of  fresh  fish.  Game,  however,  is  not  as  abundant  as  fish,  yet 
we  ought   not  to  wonder  at  this   since  warmblooded  animals  cannot 


8 


live  in  such  a  cold  climate.  Nevertheless  they  are  great  numbers  of 
deer,  moose  and  bears,  the  meat  of  which  is  verv  good  to  eat. 
In  hunting  these  animals  a  person  has  to  be  very  cautious  if  he 
values  his  life.  Hunters  there  use  a  kind  of  bullet  which  explodes 
in  the  body  ot  the  animal  and  kills  it  instantly.  Let  this  suffice  with 
regard  to  the  country  and  climate. 

We  will  now  proceed  to  give  some  particulars  of  a  more  important 
nature — about  the  Indians  or  natives.  We  do  not  intend  to  say  any 
thing  about  the  whites  that  are  spread  here  and  there  over  the  interior 
of  the  country,  as  they  are  very  few.  On  the  south  coast,  however, 
which  is  very  healthy  on  account  of  its  mild  climate,  and  on  which 
several  mines  have  been  discovered,  the  Indians  have  been  over- 
whelmed by  the  whites  and  infected  with  corruption,  so  that  it  is 
very  probable  that  they  are  lost  to  religion.  It  seems,  too,  that  there 
is  very  little  hope  of  converting  those  Indians  who  live  on  the  west 
coast  of  Alfiska,  south  of  the  mouth  of  the  Yucon,  but  the  same  can 
not  be  said  of  those  Indians  who  dwell  on  the  west  coast  of  Alaska 
north  of  the  mouth  of  the  Yucon,  as  also  of  those  who  live  in  the 
interior  of  the  country,  along  the  shores  of  the  same  river  and  its 
tributaries.  These  latter  Indians  are  very  numerous  and  are  all 
heathens.  F.  Tosi  says  that  he  met  about  10,000  of  them  who,  in 
their  eager  desire  to  be  instructed  in  the  truths  of  religi(jn,  have 
asked  for  Missionaries.  He  also  saw  about  5,000  who  belong  either 
to  the  Protestant  or  Kussian  Churches.  Unfortunately  F.  Tosi 
lacked  the  opportunity  of  visiting  the  more  northern  regions  of 
Alaska  where,  according  to  the  most  uuthoi-itative  accounts  the  In- 
dians are  the  most  numerous,  and  have  as  yet  never  seen  a  Missionary 
of  any  denomination.  The  zeal  of  the  English  Protestant  Ministers 
is  very  great.  Last  year  five  of  these  Missionaries  went  up  the  Yucon 
to  open  a  school  for  the  Indians.  We  may  state  here  that  for  many 
years  there  lives  on  the  shores  of  one  of  the  tributaries  of  the  Yucon 
an  old  minister.  F.  Tosi  has  met  this  gentleman,  and  says  that  he  is 
for  the  Protestant  Missions  of  Alaska  what  F.  Joset  is  for  the  Catho- 
lic Missions  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  His  zeal  for  the  conversion  of 
these  Indians  is  so  great  that  without  ever  relenting  he  undergoes 
the  greatest  hardships  and  difficulties.  F.  Kobaut  has  taken  up  his 
abode  amongst  the  Indians  who  were  to  be  visited  last  fall  by  the 
Archbishop,  and  he  is  all  alone.  Let  us  pray  to  the  Almighty  that 
he  may  take  this  good  Father  under  his  protection,  who  very  proba- 
bly will  have  to  remain  in  his  present  solitary  position  until  next 
spring;  however,  all  possible  measures  have  been  taken  that  F.  Tosi 
and  his  companions — F.  Ragaru  and  B.  Giordano,  S.  J.,  may  reach 
him  before  winter  sets  in.  They  left  Victoria  on  August  9th.  1887. 
In  consequence  of  the  dangers  tliat  would  follow  from  delay,  ¥.  Tosi 


9 


thinks  that  serious  steps  ought  to  be  taken  to  open  tliose  Missions  at 
once,  and  lie  is  also  of  the  opinion  that  at  each  station  there  should  he 
at  least  two  Fatlieis  and  one  Brother.  In  the  region  where  these 
iirst  stations  should  he  estal)lished  there  are  inoi-e  than  15,000  In- 
dians anxious  to  put  themselves  under  the  care  of  Catholic  Priests. 
But  it"  the  number  of  Missionaries  necessary  could  not  be  supplied  at 
present,  then  there  should  be — for  the  moment — one  Father  with  a 
Brother  at  each  station.  Even  during  winter  communication  might 
be  had  between  these  several  stations.  Tlie  two  which  are  the 
farthest  apart  are  about  300  miles  from  each  other.  The  trip  could 
be  made  with  facility,  there  being  all  along  the  way,  at  a  distance  of 
from  iifteen  to  thirty  miles,  Indian  villages.  But  the  distance  be- 
tween all  the  other  stations  would  be  only  from  100  to  200  miles. 
Of  those  stations,  all  accessible  either  by  the  river  or  by  the  sea,  four 
would  be  in  the  interior,  on  the  banks  of  the  Yucon,  and  three  would 
be  near  the  seacoast.  These  Indians  speak  only  two  languages  that 
are  entirely  different  from  each  other;  one  of  these  is  spokeji  by  those 
living  in  the  interior,  tlie  other  by  those  living  near  the  seacoast. 
Besides  these,  there  are  several  dialects,  more  or  less  different  from 
the  mother  language.  The  coast  Indians  are  Esquimaux,  and  all 
these,  to  the  number  of  several  thousands,  gather  together  in  summer 
time  for  the  purpose  of  fishing,  which  circumstance  would  offer  to  the 
Fathers  a  good  opportunity  to  work  for  their  conversion.  In  general, 
these  Indians  may  be  said  to  be  of  a  very  pacific  disposition,  like  the 
Indians  of  the  Kocky  Mountains — there  being  no  danger  at  all  to  go 
and  live  among  them.  They  are  very  intelligent  and  well  disposed  to 
be  instructed  in  religion,  which  assertion  can  be  proved  by  the  con- 
version to  Protestantism  of  many  thousands  of  them.  Those  of  the 
Indians  who  had  the  happiness  of  making  the  acquaintance  of  Arch- 
bishop Seghtuf;  respected,  honored  and  loved  him  very  much,  and 
whenever  any  of  them  happened  to  meet  him  they  would  say  that  they 
preferred  the  Catholic  Bishop  to  any  otiier  teacher. 

From  this  ^ve  may  infer  of  how  great  importance  it  is  that  the  place 
left  by  our  lai.nented  Archbishop  be  as  soon  as  possible  tilled  by  an- 
other, in  order  that  the  Indians  may  know  that  if  they  have  lost  a 
good  friend  and  father  in  tiie  Archbishop,  they  have  found  another 
with'  a  spirit  like  his  and  who  like  him  desires  nothing  more  than  to 
make  them  know  God  and  the  religion  that  leads  to  him.  One  of  the 
principal  motives  of  the  hope  we  cherish  of  their  easy  and  speedy  con- 
version is  the  absence  of  that  detestable  plague — polygamy — which  is 
and  always  has  been  the  greatest  obstacle  to  the  conversion  of  the  In- 
dians of  the  Itocky  mountains.  It  seems  that  the  fact  of  this  excep- 
tional contineiicy  among  those  Indians  must  beascriV)ed  to  a  peculiar 
custom  generally  observed  among  them.       When  their  children  have 


10 


come  to  the  use  of  reason,  tlmt  is  about  the  age  of  7  or  8  years,  tlieii* 
parents  make  an  agreement  by  whicli  they  are  betrotlied  to  each  other. 
From  the  time  of  this — tlieir  betrothal — the  children  are  obliged  to 
help  each  other  as  if  married  already,  although  they  continue  to  live 
each  in  his  or  her  respective  family.  For  instance,  wlienever  the  boy 
goes  a  fishing  he  has  to  give  part  of  his  fish  to  his  future  wife,  and  so 
in  like  manner  in  all  other  things.  On  the  otiier  hand,  the  girl  is 
ol)liged  to  mend  the  boy's  clothes,  to  dry  them  when  they  are  wet, 
and  to  prepare  his  meals  whenever  necessary.  In  this  way  they  grow 
up  loving  each  other  from  their  tenderest years.  Further,  when  they 
have  come  to  a  riper  age,  they  go  and  live  together,  conti.aiing  all  the 
while  to  love  each  otlier  so  exclusively  that  the  same  affectioTi  for 
other  persons  never  arises  to  interfere.  This  custom,  says  F.  Tosi, 
not  oidy  keeps  far  away  any  polygamy,  but  even  renders  any  breach 
of  conjugal  faith  very  difficult,  and  what  is  more  wonderful  is  that 
without  any  religious  teaching  their  morals  are  in  general  very  good. 
But  we  must  not  thiidc  that  the  missionaries  will  have  no  ditMculties 
to  surjnount.  One  very  great  obstacle  will  be  the  superstitions  or 
practice  of  Indian  medicine — probably  even  of  magic  arts.  It  is  evi- 
dent that  these  Indians  will  not  give  up  so  easily  such  practices,  which 
are  of  so  high  repute  among  them  that  atiyone  who  is  versed  therein 
is  considered  by  the  tribe  a  wise  and  powerful  man.  Let  us  hope  that 
t!ie  all-powertul  grace  of  the  Almighty  will  overcome  all  these  ob- 
stacles. Let  us  pray  that  lie,  the  Lord  of  the  harvest,  may  send 
laborers  into  this  uncultivated  part  of  his  vineyard.  A  grand  oppor- 
tunity is  now  open  to  secure  to  holy  church  the  charge  of  these 
numerous  tribes.  To  do  this,  however,  requires  immediate  action,  or 
the  enemy  will  creep  in  and  sow  the  cockle  in  this  virgin  soil,  as  he 
has  already  done  on  the  southwest  coast  of  Ahiska,  and  if  so,  the 
cockle  will  take  such  firm  root  as  to  requiiv  years  of  endeavor  to  erad- 
icate it — if  possible  even  then.  The  many  Indians  visited  by  the  now 
martyred  Archbishop  and  his  companions  appealed  to  him  in  the 
most  urgent  and  piteous  nuinner  to  have  the  Fathers  stay  with  them, 
and  teach  them  the  way  to  heaven.  Shall  their  a])peal  be  in  vain'^ 
Shall  the  labors  of  the  apostle  of  Alaska  be  now  lost  after  having  shed 
his  blood  to  water  that  promising  soil?  This  is  the  question  now  to 
be  considered  by  all  Catholics  who  have  the  welfare  of  souls  at  heart 
aiul  desire  to  raise  a  itionument  to  the  memory  of  one  of  the  greatest 
Apostles  of  Holy  Churcl'.. 

Let  studentf,  of  all  Seminaries  and  (yutholic  Universities  both  of 
Europe  and  America  olier  themselves  to  go  and  toil  there,  mingling 
their  sweat  with  the  blood  of  this  new  Martyr  of  the  Northwest. 
Let  Superiors  of  religions  houses  and  dioceses,  who  caniu)t  go  them- 
selves to  that  field  of  labor,  exercise  their  merciful  zeal  towards  those 


11 

abandoned  souls  by  encouraging  their  young  Levites  to  iinitate  Arch- 
bishop Seghers. 

We,  who  hear  the  cries  of  these  poor  Indians  for  lielp,  wish  we 
had  a  voice  of  thunder  like  the  Angels  trumpet,  which  would  carry 
to  the  four  corners  of  the  globe  these  words  of  Etei-nal  truth :  D;ito 
et  dabitur  vobie,  date  Missionaries  to  Alaska  and  dabitur  vobis  een- 
tupluni,  dabitur  to  your  souls,  dabitur  to  your  parishes,  dabitur  to 
your  religious  communities,  dabitur  to  all  your  flocks. 

To  the  Laity,  also,  are  addressed  these  same  words:  Date  et  dabi- 
tur vobis,  give  and  it  shall  be  given  unto  you,  because  they  can  help 
the  Missionaries  with  their  means,  and  to  them  a  hundredfold  shall 
be  given  here,  and  life  everlasting  hereafter. 

The  children  of  the  Church  all  over  the  world,  whom  God  has 
blessed  with  temporal  goods  should  remember  in  their  comforts,  that 
whilst  they  are  enjoying  themselves  and  at  the  same  time  believe  that 
they  are  pleasing  God,  many  souls  in  Alaska  are  allured  into  the  bot- 
tomless pit  by  the  enemy  of  their  Divine  benefactor.  Let  them  con- 
sider that  by  giving  up  some  of  their  su])erfluities  in  favor  of  the 
Alaska  Indians,  those  abandoned  souls  will  be  enlightened  in  the  ways 
of  the  Lord — will  enjoy  an  everlasting  happiness  and  will  pray  for 
their  benefactors  here  upon  earth  and  in  heaven. 

For  further  information  apply  to  the 

KEVEIIEND  FATllEKS  OF  GONZAGA  COLLEGE, 

Spokane  Falls,  W.  T., 

U.  S.  of  A. 

Or  to  Very  Reverkno  Father  J.  J.  Jonckan, 

Administrator  of  the  Diocese  of  Vancouver  Island, 

Victoria,  13.  C. 


ifi3^e'- 


